How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

[Joanne Solak]

I have been asked how a person can convert data from an Alpha 4 version 6 application to a Word file. I am not familiar with Alpha 4, but thought that there must be some sort of export facility available, and then the exported file could be imported to Word.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Mick Magnuson]

RE: How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

Hi Joanne
Well, there really is no direct export function between Alpha V6 and Word. Couple of different ways to do it, but probably the easiest way is to use the Export function using the Table ASCII File format. When you are prompted for a file name use the extension .DOC - it will default to .TBL if you don't.

Now, the drawback to this is that each record is saved as one line and keeps getting wider the more fields you export. When opened by Word it will automatically wrap the line (record). Play around with it and see what happens.

Mick

[French]

RE: How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

you could design a report and send it to a generic text printer and save it as a file. Word should have no problem reading it in and if you use a monospace font in Word, things should line up correctly.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

Joanne,

Alpha Four stores data using the dBase file format. I think Word can import the dBase files directly. No special exporting from Alpha Four should be necessary if you're trying to simply pull in all the records.

If you're trying to 'merge' only some of your database into a Word document, then you could:

a) export the desired record to a comma delimited file, and then import that file with Word; or

b) 'copy' the desired records to a new (temporary) DBF and import that file with Word.

-- tom
-- tom

[French]

RE: How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

My copy of Word 2000 doesn't seem to know anything about .dbf files. I know you can easily open .dbf files in Excel and Word knows how to communicate with Excel, so perhaps using Excel as an intermediary would work.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

Oops.

Didn't know that functionality had been dropped in the version of Word you're using. Both WordPerfect and WordPro offer this, and have done so for a long long time.

-- tom

[Susan A. Ferguson]

RE: How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

The easiest way I found is just that. Make the information you want
into a report. Print the report to a file. This file can be opened
in word or excel. I usually open reports in excel so the reports can
be emailed. Best of luck to you.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

Paul,

I've just checked and even Word97 doesn't support direct imports of DBF files. Odd. I had remembered it the other way round.

With Word97 it's possible to use the DBF file as a data source in a Word mail merge. The connection from Word to the DBF file is made using Microsoft's ODBC. Perhaps this is still available in Word 2000?

-- tom

[French]

RE: How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

The following is direct from Word 2000 help. ODBC looks right if you need mail merge. I keep Word on my machine only for when I need to exchange files with someone. I've used Lotus WordPro for years and have been surprised to discover features I take for granted in WordPro lacking in Word. The most recent was sorting data in a table. With WordPro, you can sort on your choice of up to three columns in your table and have some control over how much of the data to use. Word just sorts based on the first column.

But here's what Word 2000 help says:

===================================

Data sources you can use with Word
Microsoft Word can use the following types of files as mail-merge data sources:

A Microsoft Excel workbook or Microsoft Access database.


One of the following types of electronic address books: a Microsoft Outlook Address Book or Contact List, a Schedule+ 7.0 Contact List, the Personal Address Book that you created for use with Microsoft Exchange Server, or similar address lists that were created with a MAPI-compatible messaging system.


Files from single-tier, file-based database programs for which you have installed an open database connectivity (ODBC) driver. A number of these drivers are included with Microsoft Office.


Files in the following formats, if you included the appropriate converter when you installed Word: ASCII text files
Microsoft Word for the Macintosh versions 3.0 � 6.x

Microsoft Word versions
3.0 � 6.0 for MS-DOS
Microsoft Excel versions 2.0� 8.x
WordPerfect versions 5.x� 6.x for MS-DOS and 5.x� 6.x for Windows

Lotus 1-2-3 versions 2.x� 4.x

[Al Bronson]

RE: How to get Alphe 4 data into Word

Some of the above may be a bit of overkill, depending on your needs. I use a report that "prints" to a file. That file is named in the report as a .txt file, always to my favorite folder for all such outbound items: "C:/dumpster".

Second important item is to create a permanent dummy "printer" in alpha, that has no printer setup codes. I set this particular printer up as the specific one for this kind of report. Both of these items are assigned under the F7 department in the report layout...

The result of all this is a text file. Text files can be opened in most anything, or can even be cut and pasted directly into an email body. If you really must, you can open them in Word. If you are looking to send them as attachments to email, why tolerate Billy's huge overhead for a Word file (40-100K), vs a pure simple text file? There are no pretty fonts or formatting to be had from A4, so I like to keep it simple!